1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog electronic timepiece.
2. Description of Related Art
Analog electronic timepieces which display the time by making a plurality of pointers point predetermined positions on their dials are known. In such analog electronic timepieces, conventionally, rotors of stepping motors are rotated by applying driving pulse voltages to the stepping motors and the rotations of the rotors are transmitted to the pointers at predetermined gear ratio by gear train mechanisms, in which gears are arranged, to rotate the pointers.
In such analog electronic timepieces, each pointer can be fast forward continuously for a plurality of steps by controlling the output intervals of the driving pulse voltages. Further, in such analog electronic timepieces, the pointers are fast forward to their target positions which are set automatically according to correction to the accurate current time that is obtained through frequency reception from outside, limitation and releasing of pointers' operation according to power state and switching of display modes and operation states according to user's operation on push-button switches.
On the other hand, conventionally, analog timepieces with alarm notifying function each of which including an indication mechanism which performs the notifying operation at the alarm time corresponding to the position of the indication pointer. For example, JP 2002-323579 discloses a technique to check the discrepancy between the pointer's position and the timing of the notifying operation by fast forwarding the pointers which indicate the time up to few seconds before the alarm time set by the indication pointer and thereafter moving the pointers at normal speed when checking the notifying operation. Further, JP 2004-354349 discloses a technique wherein, when fast forwarding a pointer to a predetermined reference position, the pointer is made to respond to mechanical error of the set time due to the indication pointer by manually operating the pointer to the accurate position after setting a position detection mechanism using an indication pointer near the reference position and fast forwarding the pointer to the position of the indication pointer.
In recent years, in analog electronic timepieces, when users operate the push-button switches or the crowns to manually perform pointer movement such as data setting, the users may selectively move the pointers 1 step by 1 step by performing a predetermined operation on the push-button switches or the crowns, or may let the fast forwarding operation be performed continuously until the predetermined operation is performed again.
However, if a pointer is fast forward at high speed, it is difficult for a user to stop the fast forwarding of the pointer at the position near the desired position. That is, there may be a case where a user needs to move the pointer 1 step by 1 step from a position very far from the desired position.
An object of the present invention is to provide an analog electronic timepiece in which a pointer can be moved easily to their desired positions by a user.